Volquez For Hamilton Revisited

not quite the same but Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett with Anibal Sanchez and Mike Lowell thrown in. Hanley turns out to be one of the best hitting SS in baseball. Beckett almost wins the CY Young and with Lowell lead the Red Sox to the World Series. Sanchez gets hurt, but not before he throws a no-hitter in his rookie year.

Not quite on the same level, but Jason Marquis and Ray King for J.D. Drew and Eli Morrero back in '04 comes to mind. Trade seemed to greatly benefit both teams, if only for a year.

hoffman for sheffield? not quite the same though.

i dont have the exact numbers but the average starting pitcher is directly involved in about 100 pitches every 5 days.

an everyday outfielder will face about 18 pitches a game. Over 5 games that is 90 pitches. and they may be involved in 15 plays defensively over the course of 5 games.

now that doesnt count the impact on the basepaths or the impact a solid hitter can have on the batter ahead or behind. but it shows that the DIRECT impact a hitter and a starting pitcher have over the course of 5 days is pretty similar.

I'd have to agree with above. It's not that I wouldn't take a dominant pitcher over a premier slugger, but it seems that a year from now, the chances of Hamilton still slugging away are better than Volquez either regressing to average, or having his arm fall off. Any analysis of the trade is purely on one season only, and thus a fraction of what its really worth.

On that note, the most famous trade in Blue Jays history was a real baseball trade. Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter from the Padres for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. All players played well for their teams.

also you do have to wonder, the Reds may have been a little fishy on whether Hamilton would last a whole season and be healthy, so they traded him when they perceived his value as highest. Fortunately for the Rangers, he seems to be just fine in terms of durability.

I wouldn't mind having John Danks and Chris Young back though...

And Armando Galarraga (where is Michael Hernandez anyway?), Justin Duchsherer, Aaron Harang, Ryan Dempster, etc.

Ranger Chick - Hernandez was released in Spring Training, meaning Texas got nothing.

Honestly, I don't think that either Hamilton or Volquez would be having the same success had they not been traded. Hamilton had a lot of negativity directed at him in Cincinnati because of the special treatment, as well as the attention he got. And Volquez needed to leave Texas, who mismanaged him early in his career and didn't seem to have complete confidence in him. It was a great change of scenery that worked out well for everyone.

Ack! Chicago!

@morisato:

Vasquez had 3 very solid seasons for Montreal before be became a member of the Yankees.

I'd argue Hamilton's star will shine even longer than someone who has played since he was 22. He was always an exceptional talent, and he took all those years off and thus has a lot of baseball left in him...as long as he stays healthy from the drugs.

"He was always an exceptional talent, and he took all those years off and thus has a lot of baseball left in him..."

So GuitarHero... are you actually saying that years of abusing his body with drugs while staying away from the game is somehow better for josh Hamilton than if he had stayed clean and sober and simply played ball? Really? He'll "shine even longer" because he was an addict? Wow... I guess that's something more minor leaguers should consider.

Read this skyharbor:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/pitching-runs-created-again/

You know, everyone forgets the throw-in Danny Herrera and I think he pushes this trade in favor of the Reds in the long run. He has a great Screwball and could become a great reliever.

"are you actually saying that years of abusing his body with drugs while staying away from the game is somehow better for josh Hamilton than if he had stayed clean and sober and simply played ball?"

I don't think he's saying it's "better" and I doubt you think that's what he meant. Yes, an argument can be made that over the 2-3 years he was getting high, he saved some wear and tear on his body, because drugs aren't necessarily bad for your body. Their damage is due more in the situations the user puts him/herself in, and the resulting sh!tstorm you put loved ones through. But as far as long-term physiological effects? Hamilton didn't do any favors to his lungs or his liver, but he's also got fresher knees, shoulders, back, etc. That's the point. Suggesting minor leaguers should consider it isn't cool.